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The alpha watched his son perform his little task with much indifference, was this how Elric had been living all these years? The son of the alpha of the silver pack, pouring his own tea?

Elric gave one cup to Clovis and the other to Edron who hesitated in taking it.

“I can sense that you have a lot you want to get off your chest,” Elric spoke to his father as he poured himself a cup of tea. “If it is about Eira, there is very little I can do change what is.”

“I am indeed bothered about that hybrid woman you call a mate,” Edron responded. “But that is not my concern at the moment.” The man shifted his head from side to side inspecting his son’s home. “This life you choose to live, it saddens me, a prince should not live this way.”

“This life I choose to live has been the most peaceful existence I have had in years father,” Elric responded. “There is a reason I wished not be found.”

The alpha nodded his head and proceeded to drinking his hot beverage. “No matter, your life will be even more peaceful when we return to the snowlands. There your life will be easy and you will not have to worry about trivial things like making your own tea.”

Elric lowered his cup, “father, returning to the snowlands and seeing my mother is something that I wish to do. But I cannot do it right this moment.”

“And why is that?”

.....

“Eira father,” Elric responded without the slightest hint of hesitation. “She needs me right now, the royal decree that was passed of her finding a husband in thirty days, it’s wrong!”

“The sooner you forget about that woman the better,” Edron responded. “Do you find pleasure in putting yourself into situations that could possibly ruin your life? I will not alllw you to be with that woman after all that her parents did! And honestly, I don’t think they want you anywhere near their little monster either.”

“I understand that the chances of Eira and I being together are very low..”

“They are non existent!” Edron corrected his son, making him sigh.

“Of course,” Elric continued. “But regardless of that, I cannot let them force her into a marriage I know she does not desire, with a man she does not even love. If I cannot be the one to make her happy, at the least let it be someone of her own choosing. All I want is for her to be happy, that would be more than enough for me.”

Elric then turned to Clovis who had been quiet most of the time and questioned him. “And what of you? Why were you so bent on finding me?”

Clovis put down his now empty cup and smiled slightly. “I find that question rather insulting Elric,” he responded. “I mean you are my brother after all, your well being is a priority of mine. Besides, father would have wanted you to return home to Meria, and maybe even take up the throne. But recent events have shown me that you have other pressing matters that need your attention.” Clovis looked up at Elric and fondly smiled at him. “I thought you had died brother, seeing you here alive gives me a sense of peace. You’re family.”

Elric nodded and sipped his tea. He couldn’t help but notice how Clovis had spoken of their father in past tense, and that could only mean one thing.

“Did he die peacefully?” Elric asked Clovis. “Our father?”

“He did,” the Merian king responded. “He always spoke about reuniting with his wife again in his old age, so naturally we buried him next to our mother. He would have loved to see you again, you should visit him sometime and pay your respects.”

“I will...”

“Sorry to interrupt your sentimental moment,” Edron responded. “But Elric, I will not go back to the snowlands without you, I promised your mother I would take you to her. So any plans you have here, I suggest you do them quickly, or you postpone them to another time. We leave for the snowlands in two days, wether you like it or not.”

Elric looked down at his half empty cup, two days would not be enough to help Eira out of the situation she was in, and in his current state, he wouldn’t stand a chance if confronted by her father. He had to get stronger and it seemed the snowlands were the only place he could achieve that.

‘I will come back for you Eira,’ Elric thought to himself. ‘Please just wait for me for a little while.’

*

Melissa walked behind her husband and gently rubbed his shoulders before planting a kiss on his cheek. She had been watching him staring at his reflection in the mirror for over five minutes now, and she knew it was because he was worried about what the next twenty nine days would bring.

“Do not overthink it Garry,” Melissa spoke lovingly to the man as she continued to massage his shoulders. “She may be against it right now, but I assure you that after a while she will be thankful for this opportunity to carefully select a worthy suitor.”

“But my love..” Gareth held his wife’s hand. “The universe has already choosen a suitor for her, you really think we can go against the will of the gods?”

Melissa really did not know if they could, but they had to try, paring their only daughter with a man like Elric? After all that had happened in the past? The ‘universe’ must have lost its mind.

“We won’t know unless we try,” Melissa responded before planting another kiss on her husband’s temple. “Now hurry and get ready, I would love it if you met the first set of suitors with me before you go off to your meetings with the council.”

“And what if he is among them?” Gareth asked. “Will we chase him away? Because by law wether we like it or not Mel, he qualifies as a worthy suitor for our daughter. We cannot turn him away without airing out our dirty laundry for all to see.”

“Elric may be reckless,” Melissa responded. “But he isn’t stupid, he will not show up as a suitor unless he wants his own dirty laundry out in the open. We are protecting not only the innocence of our Eira, but the reputations of both us and him as well.”

*

As Maria finished putting the final touches on her make up, Eira wondered what the day ahead held for her. She had been informed that she would be meeting the suitors who had declared their interest in marrying her over the next twenty four days. On the twenty sixth day she would be expected to pick out ten candidates from the bunch, from which on the thirtieth day, she would select one as her future husband through whatever means she deemed fit.

She stood up and inspected herself in the mirror from head to toe. Maria had really gone all out today hadn’t she.

“You look absolutely stunning princess,” Maria spoke excitedly, clearly happy with her work. “Every detail is perfect to the letter and I-”

“My hair,” Eira interrupted the woman.

Maria walked close to the princess and inspected her hair once again, “princess your hair is just-”

“It is not tied,” Eira pointed out.

“Yes princess,” Maria responded. “You have such long beautiful hair, much like your mother’s, it would be a shame to have it secured rather than leaving it to flow beautifully.”

“I do not like it when my hair gets in my face,” Eira responded before opening one of her drawers and pulling out the hair comb gifted to her by Isabella and Leonard. “If you please secure it for me,” Eira asked Maria while handing her the golden accessory. “I would really appreciate it.”

Maira nodded and took the accessory from the princess’ hand. This was one way Eira differed from her mother, subtle things like having her hair tied up rather than leaving it to flow. They may have had the same face, but Melissa and Eira were two different people entirely, Maria always seemed to forget that.

“Thank you,” the redhead spoke to Maria as she looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She then proceeded to another one of her drawers where she was keeping the dagger Zhelimir had given her, and secured it on a sheath clutched around her thigh. She turned to look at Maria who had a worried look on her face, and gave her another smile. “You can never be too careful I always say,” she spoke before heading out her bedroom door.

Maira watched the door for a few minutes before proceeding to picking up Eira’s dirty clothes. She was very different from her mother indeed.